Urgent Actions

The People’s Congress calls for unity and mobilization in defense of the peasant communities of Tumaco and demands that the Colombian government immediately implement the agreements.

The Colombian government in its anti-drugs policy implements in rural zones forced and militarized eradication of the illicit-use crops, a policy which has contributed to the violation of human rights of the peasant communities that demand a policy of crop substitution that is consulted and progressive.

The Southern Bolivar and Central & Southern Cesar Dialogue Commission (CISBCSC) denounces to the national and international community, social organizations, human rights defenders, supervisory authorities and entities, the following facts that constitute violations of the human right to life and physical integrity.

CONTINUED PARAMILITARY PRESENCE IN CHOCÓ
Residents of Puerto Lleras, Jiguamiandó collective territory in the department of Chocó, report threats and raids from paramilitaries near the Humanitarian Zone of Pueblo Nuevo, putting all the inhabitants at risk.

With deep indignation, we denounce the lamentable events that took place against the spokeswoman of the Congress of the Peoples, Marlylen Serna Salinas, her family and people close to her family. Sexual violence has been used as a way of generating terror, hindering and deterring her from defending human rights in Colombia.

We call on national and international public opinion to vigorously reject these acts of psychological, physical and sexual violence directed against female social leaders and human rights defenders who have been visibly persecuted in the recent period.

Saturday March 4th, more than 200 paramilitaries in camouflage uniforms wearing an armband identifying them as Autodefensas Gaitanistas entered the afro-descendent community of Pena Azul, in the municipality of Alto Baudo in the department of Choco. The paramilitaries shot in direction of the population and occurred a confrontation with members of the ELN guerilla. The population fled. Only 5 of the 28 families of the community managed to get to Pie de Pato village (on March 4th). We currently ignore where are the other members of the community, of which many children and elderlies.

There have been further paramilitary incursions into several hamlets in or near the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó in north-western Colombia. This is posing an increasing risk to the security of Peace Community members and others in the area.